Matthew 26:1-39 ▼

1 And it came about that when Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,

2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be delivered up for crucifixion.”

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas;

4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth, and kill Him.

5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest a riot occur among the people.”

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it upon His head as He reclined at the table.

8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?

9 “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me.

11 “For the poor you have with you always; but you do not always have Me.

12 “For when she poured this perfume upon My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.

13 “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be spoken of in memory of her.”

14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,

15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you?” And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 Now when evening had come, He was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

21 And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”

22 And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

23 And He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.

24 “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

26 And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;

28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

30 And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’

32 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

33 But Peter answered and said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”

34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times.”

35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.

38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”